Black Coffee
by flipstahhz
Summary: What happens when two best friends, a successful diplomat and an ex-rockstar, meet up for a caffeine fix? [ONE-SHOT friendship]


**BLACK COFFEE  
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_by flipstahhz  
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He appeared serious.

Leg folded over the other, he sat straight on the wooden chair as he read the newspaper. Decked out in expensive Italian leather shoes, a silk grey tie draping loosely around his neck, and a grim-ash tailored suit, Taichi Yagami sipped his coffee.

His long fingers were almost tearing the pages as he flicked abruptly through the newspaper, creating a ruffling racket. As he tried to concentrate on a soccer article in the Sports section, the words blurred. He could not process a single word because he been waiting so long. With each second that continued to tick by, Taichi's impatience and irritability escalated.

When one the pages _did_ tear, a few customers cast curious glances at him. He gave a sheepish smile, folding the newspaper into squares before placing it back into his briefcase.

With nothing left to fiddle with, Taichi focused back onto his beverage.

The black coffee steamed.

He held the mug under his nose, whiffing the sedating and enthralling scent of caffeine. A poisonous beauty. He frowned, observing his shadow in the mug of caffeine. The tip of his nose turned a light pink and his jittering slowly ceased. He settled on droning his thoughts into the depths of the searing black liquid.

"Stop moping around and drink your darn coffee."

Cool blue eyes met his; eyes filled with sarcasm and curiosity.

Taichi scowled at his best friend. He hadn't noticed Yamato slide into the seat next to him. Who knew how long Yamato had been there for? Donned in a dark green hoodie and black jeans, Yamato still managed to get heads to turn at his direction – specifically by the females in the cafe. And, much to Taichi's dismay, the sad thing was that he knew Yamato wasn't even trying. In spite of it all, Taichi was used to the attention Yamato attracted considering his popularity trailed back to their high school days, when Yamato had been a bassist to an underground rock band.

"I am _not_ moping," Taichi growled. He kicked out a seat from under the table. "And give me some personal space, will you? If you sit right next to me, people will get the wrong picture."

"Hey." Yamato shrugged. "You're the one who asked me out during my busy schedule."

"It's your day off. This is my lunch break and you're late, so be a good friend and listen to me." Taichi crossed his arms.

"You mean, listen to you mope around like a sorry ass?"

Taichi kicked the chair again, but this time with more brute force that the chair almost tumbled over.

"Fine, fine," Yamato concurred.

However, as he switched seats, Taichi could hear him sulkily grumbling under his breath how there was nothing wrong about two grown men sitting side-by-side. A year or two ago, the pair would rather be at a bar or club than be found at a coffee shop. Yet, there they were.

"What have you been doing to keep you all busy?" Taichi questioned, mildly interested.

Yamato grinned. "The laundry. It's become one of my favourite hobbies. Do you know how _good_ softener smells?"

"Am I really having this conversation with you?" Taichi chuckled. "My God. She's turned you into a woman."

His best friend shrugged, smirking. "Perhaps that's her ulterior reason why she decided to live with me. But there may be other reasons like how attractive she is in-"

"_Stop._"

It wasn't like Taichi had anything against Yamato being with Sora. It's just that he didn't want to know _anything_ about their sexual affairs. After all, Yamato was his best friend...but Sora was also. Taichi had met Sora during elementary soccer camp. On the other hand, Taichi had first encountered Yamato later on, during secondary school.

If Taichi hadn't introduced both his best friends to each other, they wouldn't have become a couple. Taichi always enjoyed boasting how he was their cupid and if it wasn't for him, they'd both be hopeless miserable mess...just like how he currently was.

"But she is-"

"Looks like your drink is here!" Taichi exclaimed, grateful for the distraction.

The pretty waitress placed the mug onto the wooden table. Her hair was styled different. Taichi was certain that a few days ago there were streaks of pink in her long chestnut wavy hair. The streaks were now replaced with bright red.

"Thanks Mimi," Yamato muttered after he had read the waitress's name tag, making the waitress's cheeks flush.

"You're welcome." The waitress stammered, giving a polite bow before gliding away to serve the freshly squeezed orange juice to the next table.

Taichi shook his head at his friend who focused back onto his cappuccino. Yamato hadn't noticed the waitress's reaction, but Taichi was not fazed. It was like Yamato to act smooth because he was naturally like that. There had been many times Taichi had, admittedly, taken advantage of his best friend to date girls back when they went to school together.

They comfortably sat there, silently, for a few minutes. Yamato had become immersed in his cappuccino, and Taichi was now quietly gazing down into his beverage. After Yamato had annihilated his drink, he scowled when he looked up to see Taichi hadn't touched his coffee at all.

"It's not often you ask me out on a coffee date." Yamato grumbled, "Tell me what's bothering you?"

"Isn't my life like black coffee?" Taichi frowned, evading him. "It's so bitter."

"Then add more sugar." Sighing, Yamato literally reached across the table and dumped four teaspoons of brown sugar into Taichi's mug.

"Asshole," Taichi growled, picking up his spoon and trying to dissolve the lump of sugar at the bottom of his mug. "You know what I meant."

"Perhaps. Life can be bitter. But, you know, mulling around isn't doing yourself any good." Yamato grumbled. "Spill it. Get to it, Tai."

"I will _not _be ordered around."

"Too bad," Yamato grunted with no signs of remorse in his tone . "If you don't, I'm leaving."

Taichi knew it hadn't been an empty threat. Yamato didn't tolerate bullshit. Like Taichi, Yamato was extremely impatient. Yamato's impatience rivalled his own. They were a hot-headed pair, constantly bickering, but after they cooled off they'd get over their petty arguments the next day after.

"Your parents aren't sick, are they?" Yamato asked, suddenly concerned.

"No."

"It won't be about work because you know I hate listening to you talk about politics and international business." Yamato scratched that proposition out. If Taichi wasn't going to say anything, Yamato would have to play the guessing game. "How about your love life? Wait...no. You said you'd only be worried about finding a partner is after you've turned thirty."

Taichi glowered at Yamato. "You know me to well, but that doesn't mean I don't want a love life-"

"Then is it about how you want to find your own _missus_?"

"No!" Taichi denied.

"Then it's about Hikari," Yamato confirmed. And, from the sour expression on Taichi's face at the mention of his sister's name, Yamato knew he was right. "Is it because she's engaged?"

_Bullseye._

Taichi gripped onto his mug of coffee, so tightly, that his fingers almost turned white. His eyes were wide in disgust and lips were in a straight, unimpressed, line. He neither was smiling or frowning.

"Come on, Tai. Calm down. It was bound to happen," Yamato told him. "It's good news. You should be happy that, at least, her fiancée is decent."

"It's ridiculous! My sister_-my_ sister_,"_ Taichi seethed, "Is leaving me for some other man!"

"_Tai_-"

"How can I be _calm _about this?" Taichi continued on, "My baby sister is too young to get married! Hell, I'm not even married!"

"She's not leaving you. You're being impossible," Yamato attempted to reason out. "Just because she has a ring on her finger doesn't mean you're out of her life completely. She mightn't get married till later. Maybe she'll only move in with him in the mean time-"

"And turn into you? I do not want her to become _unholy! _She needs to get married first."

"I don't think living with your partner before you propose or get married is a bad thing," Yamato snapped, irked. "Sora and I are doing fine."

"But my sister is different! And now she's engaged to a brute-"

Yamato hissed, "That's my brother you're talking about, Tai. You take that back."

"No! Any person with my sister is not good enough-"

"Tai," Yamato warned. His patience was quickly running out. Enough that Taichi had spoken badly about him, but now he was attacking his innocent younger brother. "It's Takeru. You _know_ Takeru. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"What if-"

"Can't you be happy for them?" Yamato sighed. "We used to talk about how great it would be if our siblings got married because then we'd be brother-in-laws! Don't you remember?"

"But-"

"You know, this is most likely why you were practically the last person to know about their engagement. You can be so stubborn. They're in love. Get it through that thick skull of yours!"

"You don't understand! Hikari said she wanted to marry me-"

Yamato shook his head. "What? When she was five? And if she did marry you, that would be incest."

"Then why-"

Yamato reached over the table and non-hesitantly gave Taichi a slap on the face.

The sound caused heads to turn their direction, but Yamato did not care the least. Taichi was touching his cheek, pouting like a little boy as he stared at his best friend. "You didn't need to do that."

Yamato gave a careless shrug. "You were asking for it."

"I guess I was," Taichi breathed out. "It doesn't help that I can't badmouth Hikari's fiancée because he's your brother. I just don't want her to forget me. I just don't like that, well, she's growing up. I don't know how to deal with it."

"She _is_ grown up now," Yamato muttered. "You need to at least _try_ to get that image in your mind. She's in her mid twenties, has got a steady job and she's turned into a fine woman. What more could you ask for, Tai?"

Taichi scratched the back of head. Yamato did have a point. Yamato had always been his second conscience. But how else was Taichi meant to react? He couldn't help but feel wary and panicked that his kid sister was now a engaged woman. He would have never thought it would happen, just like how he had become a diplomat and how Yamato had sold his band career away for a stable life. Life was funny like that.

"I guess we've grown up too, huh?" Taichi gave a small smile. "Aren't we old men? It's not exactly common for two men to have coffee together."

"I'm surprised you're even holding down some caffeine. You used to dry retch whenever you'd smell it," Yamato smirked, reminiscent.

"You'd act the same whenever Jun stalked you around and give you heart-shaped chocolates," Taichi snickered.

"Don't remind me," Yamato closed his eyes, pained by the memory.

Taichi chuckled. It was odd how they had known each other for almost half of their lives, yet they still had managed to remain good friends. Despite the different career pathways they had taken, they got along well despite seeing each other less frequently.

"I'm sorry about what I said about TK," Taichi finally admitted. "It's just hard letting go, you know? I know Takeru's a really good guy for her. If anything, he's the only person I'd be happy for Hikari to be with."

"I know," Yamato grinned. "I guess you played cupid again, huh?"

"Unintentionally this time," Taichi muttered, smiling back. "And thanks to your help too."

Yamato laughed, glad that Taichi was feeling slightly better. The ex-musician clapped a hand on Taichi's shoulder. "I need to go now. I promised Sora I'd drop by the market to buy fresh fruits."

"Whipped," Taichi said, under his breath.

Before Taichi could reach the counter, Yamato had already paid for the bill. After the last few exchange of words, Yamato left the cafe with Taichi trailing after him.

As Taichi strolled down the street, Taichi took a deep breath. Everything was changing around him. From the brand new stores on the street, to his sister being engaged, Yamato deciding to become a guitar teacher...and even changes in him. Taichi would have never thought that he'd become accustomed to taking flights back and forth to and from Japan to deal with international business.

When Taichi made his back to the office, after he had taken a seat at his desk, he realised that Yamato had texted him. Why would his best friend text him when they had just seen each other?

.

_Tai, _

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_Here's Mimi's number: 90 6107 3605_

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_Although you were moody the whole time, I saw you staring at her. _

_And, well, I saw her staring at you too._

_._

_You __did__ say that you wouldn't mind a love life...right?_

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_So let me play cupid for you this time. _

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_Cheers!_

_._

_Your brother-in-law  
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Taichi chuckled.

Why did his best friend have to be such an observant idiot?

Asides from acting like a miserable jerk in front of Yamato about his sister, Taichi had specifically chosen that cafe because, for the past month, he had developed a slight interest for the pretty waitress.

Holding his breath, Taichi dialed the number. He crossed his fingers, wishing for the best.

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><p><strong>(an)** I felt nostalgic. With all the hype of Digimon Adventure Tri, I couldn't help but revisit this fandom. I might write a new Sorato story at some point, but I'm not making any promises. Hope you all have been doing well. xox flipstahhz


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